


When Heroes Fall

by FairyRingsandWings



Category: Frozen (2013), Rise of the Guardians (2012)
Genre: Afterlife, Alternate Universe, Dark, F/M, Inspired by Frozen 2 Trailer, Jelsa - Freeform, Limbo, Psychological Torture (the characters don't do this to each other), What if the villains win?, twist ending
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-27
Updated: 2019-02-27
Packaged: 2019-11-06 13:40:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 2
Words: 8,862
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17940758
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FairyRingsandWings/pseuds/FairyRingsandWings
Summary: Jack and Elsa meet in limbo, a place where heroes who fail to defeat their villains go.





	1. Chapter 1

_Why do you try? A boyish voice asked._

_How can you not? A young Queen replied._

Elsa stared at the dark waves, refusing to be cowed by their violent onslaught and daunting size. Pebbles and rocks dug into the soles of her bare feet and specks of sand rubbed irritably against her skin. Her drenched clothes clung to her like an uncomfortable second skin and her soaked hair was plastered messily to her face. Her body ached, every muscle tense and throbbing with pain. She could already feel the bruises forming along her arms, legs and ribs.

_Give up._

_I won't._

With a determined glower, Elsa dashed down the beach again. Ice bloomed under her feet like icy flowers with every frantic, unbalanced step she took. Her lungs burned as she ran and leapt across the ocean. Water sprayed across her from every direction and waves seemed to rear up like demons, ready to engulf her. A massive wave formed in front of her and she dived straight into it, intent on breaking through and continuing on. She had no such luck. The force of the wave battered her into the sea, her feet slipping from her ice lily pads. Waters rushed through her lungs as she cried out.

Everything hurt.

When she came to she was back on the pebbly beach.

_You're never going to make it._

_Watch me._

She tried again. Elsa raced across the beach, teeth gritted and body thrumming with energy fueled by a terrifying trepidation. High above her, the thunderous clouds boomed, jagged, white light flashing across the sky. The wave roared to new life, casting threatening shadows over the Queen as she scrambled across the waters.

She had to it this time! She had to make it!

_Anna..._

She got further this time, further than she had ever gotten. Nails dug into slick rock and muscles screeched in protest as Elsa found herself clinging to an ancient stump. Waves smashed against the rock, trying to knock the desperate women from her perch. Like a barnacle poised on a ship in an unrelenting storm, Elsa clung on, enduring each wave that slammed against her. The seaweed ridden platform almost proved her undoing. She staggered to her feet and lost her balance on the slippy surface, barely managing to cast a slide of ice to save herself.

Again the sea charged for her, wave after wave trying to devour her. The sound of rushing and chomping water was deafening to Elsa's ears.

 _I can do this,_  Elsa thought, her heart beating faster than a stallions. _I can make it this time..._

The ocean would not be conquered, not even by a powerful queen with the powers of winter in her veins and starlight in her hair. It towered over her, sending one monstrous wave from its infinite darkness to send her back from whence she came.

Elsa's eyes widened as the watery beast curled over her.

Everything went black.

* * *

"Why do you try?"

Elsa threw her hair over her shoulder, refusing to look at him. She was tired of his questions, tired of his doubts, tired of his lack of belief.

"Are you ignoring me now?"

Elsa pulled on her boots, pointedly keeping her stare on the ground.

"Come on, Snowy. Considering we're the only two people on this forsaken island it'll be pretty boring if we can't try and get along."

Elsa grabbed her coat and fastened it around her. She heard him sigh and ruffle his hair.

"Look, I'm trying to help, whether you believe me or not."

With grace and poise, Elsa walked away. She would find somewhere else to try and escape, somewhere where the waves weren't so large. A cynical part which grew with each failed attempt told her it was pointless; it didn't matter which section of the sea she tried to leave by, the ocean would never allow it. It was almost like it was alive, an all-knowing prison guard, keeping them marooned.

She closed her eyes and took in a deep breath. She had to stop thinking like that! And listening to that infernal spirit would not aid her in that. His pessimism was tainting her hope, bringing her down.

"Elsa, wait...  _please_."

"Will you just stop!" Elsa snapped, whirling around to face him. "You may have given up but I haven't. My sister is out there waiting for me. She needs me. My kingdom needs me. I have to get back."

"It's too late, Elsa."

"No, Jack... it isn't."

Elsa looked at the young man before her. He was the same height as her, perhaps a few inches taller. He dressed unusually, in garments she had never seen before. A blue jumper (a hoodie, he had called it), brown three quarter length trousers and no shoes. His hair was as white as snow and his eyes were as bright and blue as the sky at the peak of summer. Perhaps once they had been filled with something other than defeat and exhaustion. Not anymore.

Like her, he was trapped here in this barren wasteland of an island. It was a place void of greenery and sunlight. There were only mists of grey and black lingering eternally.

He called it limbo.

She called it hell.

* * *

Heart-wrenching sobs shook Elsa's body, fat tears trickling down her rosy cheeks. She wrapped her arms around her legs and buried her head against her thighs. Her muffled cries echoed down the sea cave.

She had tried. She had failed. She had tried again. She had failed again. Over and over and over the cycle repeated.

Again. Again. Again.

She was tired. So very, very tired.

_I'm sorry, Anna... I'm sorry..._

As always, she had failed her younger sister. When Anna needed her most, she wasn't there. When her kingdom needed her most, she wasn't there. She was never ever there, was she?  _Some big sister I turned out to be,_  Elsa thought miserablly. _Some Queen I turned out to be too._

"I'm sorry."

Elsa stiffened and did not look up. She flinched when she felt Jack sit down beside her, one leg bent and the other stretched out before him. He leaned his head back against the cave wall, his white bangs falling across his eyes.

"I know you want to get back home to your sister. I get that, completely. If I could see my little sister again..." Jack's words trailed off, ending in a wistful sigh. "But there's only so much you can put yourself through. Believe me, I have tried everything to get out of here. Nothing works. No matter how far I swim, the waves always push me back. We're trapped here. There's no escape."

"If there's a way in then there's a way out," Elsa insisted, her voice quiet but strong as steel. "There has to be."

"I've been here for centuries, no ones ever gotten out."

_No one?_

"We're not the only ones here? There are others?" Ever since Elsa had arrived on the island, the only being she had encountered was Jack, the self-proclaimed spirit. "Who?"

"Well there used to be," Jack replied, sadness in his eyes. "He was a guardian, like me. Well... almost. I never really saw the appeal of becoming a glorified briber of kids to get them to behave. They were all hard work and deadlines and I was snowballs and fun times. His name was Sandy."

"And Sandy was one of these... guardians?" Elsa asked, brow furrowing.

"Yipe, the noble protectors of children, whether they be naughty or nice," Jack said with biting sarcasm. Elsa wondered why he sounded so bitter. "Bringing joy, hope, dreams and guarding their childhood memories. Or... something like that. It's all pretty boring if you ask me."

Elsa said nothing, once again finding herself at a loss of what to say. The knowledge that there was magic and supernatural entities out there should not be so hard to accept. She wielded impossible powers at her fingertips. She could bring to life a snowman; conjure a storm with the potential to wreck a kingdom ( _her kingdom,_  she thought with a pang); freeze an entire lake; and so much more. Her father and mother had once taken her to the secret troll village, where she was witness to their strange magic. Why then, was it so hard to grasp the thought that other magic and otherworldly communities existed?

After all, wasn't it something she had always hoped for? Longed for. For there to be others like her?

And here she was now, stuck on a magic island (a desolate prison) that wouldn't let her leave. She wasn't even sure how she had gotten here. After that loathsome Hans and her guards had stolen her away from her ice palace (her sanctuary) and tossed her into Arendelle's dungeon, everything was a blur. She couldn't remember what had happened. All she remembered was the feeling of unbearable guilt tormenting her, killing her slowly, rotting her away from the inside and hollowing out her heart. She didn't want to remember what brought on such strong emotions. It wasn't important, not now. She had to get home.

"Sandy got here before me. But then one day he just... vanished."

Elsa perked up. "Perhaps he escaped?"

"No," Jack murmured, shaking his head. "I mean he just vanished, into thin air, right in front of me. It was like he just faded away into nothing."

Jack shivered, wincing at the thought of his fallen companion. Elsa wasn't sure who this Sandy was to him, but it was clear Jack at the very least respected him dearly. His absence was acutely felt, visible in the young man's dejected eyes.

"How did you end up here?" Elsa asked quietly.

"Same way you did," Jack shrugged. "I died."

* * *

Elsa stormed down the beach, hands clenched at her side.

"What do you think I meant by limbo, Snowy?" Jack called out over the wash of the waves. "This is an in-between place, beyond space and time. Its were immortal beings go when -  _if_  - we die."

"I am not immortal," Elsa hissed. "And I am not dead!"

"Let me broaden that definition to supernatural beings then," Jack rolled his eyes. "You're not a normal human Elsa. You're like me. Like the guardians. You were blessed by the Man on the Moon. You have to be; that's the only explanation for your powers and why you ended up here when you-"

"Do  _not_  say it," Elsa snarled, turning to scowl at him.

"Elsa," pity shined in his eyes, a kindred spirit that knew the painful truth she was denying. "I'm sorry, but you need to accept that-"

"I am not dead! I would remember that! I... I know I would," Elsa stammered. She felt panic racing through her veins. It was difficult to breath; she was almost panting for air. Why was it so hard to breath? She couldn't understand why she was feeling so anxious and jittery - the spirit was talking nonsense. Nonsense like he always did. "I can't be... I can't be dead."

"Elsa, what do you remember?" Jack asked, taking a tentative step forward. He reached out for her. She moved out of reach, glaring at his hand like it was a hot poker. "Think about it."

She remembered prison bars and heavy cuffs pressing down on her hands. She remembered a blast of icy wind as she shattered the frozen chains restraining her and the walls containing her. She remembered a blizzard of white beating against her and a voice calling out.

_Your sister is dead... because of you._

Pain. She remembered unbearable pain. Guilt. A feeling of utter despair. It was as if her heart had shattered into thousands of pieces, along with her entire world. She remembered striking Anna with a wave of ice back in her icy castle.

Elsa let out a tormented sob.

_Anna... no... no, Anna..._

She hadn't meant it. _She hadn't meant it!_  Just like the first time it was an accident. She hadn't meant...

Her sister was dead. Because of her.

_Anna... Anna! No! You can't be dead. You can't be..._

Elsa shook her head, staggering backwards and clutching her chest.

_I'm sorry, Anna. I'm sorry..._

_I love you..._

She remembered the feeling of a sharp blade slicing into her back, striking her down.

The monster had been slain.

"Hans... he... he-" Elsa choked back a cry, her hand covering her mouth. "He... he  _killed_  me."

 _I deserved it,_  she thought with a vicious sob. _I deserved it..._

Elsa fell to her knees. Jack knelt beside her, wrapped his arms around her and held her tightly to his chest until her eyes dried and she had no tears left to shed.

Her sister was dead... because of her.


	2. Nightmares

"How did you end up here?"

"Pitch Black," Jack replied darkly. "Though you might know him better as the boogeyman."

"The boogeyman? He's real?"

It still amazed Elsa how much of a stranger she was to the magic that filled her world. Spirits, fairies, dream givers, talking bunnies and boogeymen. Magic had been around her throughout the years, constantly. Yet she had been none the wiser. Oblivious and disbelieving once she had left her childhood behind, wonder and magic cloaked from her eyes. It was almost cruel knowing it now. All those years she had thought herself alone, an anomaly in a world grounded in reality.  _Why couldn't they have said something to me?_  she thought scornfully, wounded to know that these creatures of magic had known of her - cared for her in their own way - yet none had reached out, giving her what she truly wanted - what she  _needed_.

"As real as you or me." Jack watched the flickering flames of the fire. Neither needed the warmth but it was comforting and bright in their world of darkness and cold. They sat across from each other, Elsa leaning against the wall while jack sat cross-legged in front of the fire. "Pitch made a move against the guardians. He wanted to stop children from believing in them. He was an unseen spirit like me. Most children don't believe in the boogeyman these days - well, in my time. I'm from a more skeptical time period, people are less inclined towards fairy tales and magic."

A bitter smile twisted his lips.

"Anyway, I was chosen, for whatever reason, to be a guardian by the Man on The Moon. I found out that Tooth - the tooth fairy-"

Elsa gasped, childish wonder eager to push questions on her lips. Her curiosity deflated with a dismissive gesture from Jack. It didn't seem he was willing to share much more about the specific guardians - at least not for now. There was a bit of disdain and ridicule in his voice whenever he spoke of them. Only the one known as Sandy seemed to inspire a wisp of a genuine smile from him. (He had a charming if somewhat roguish smile, she had noticed. It was pleasant as it was rare, but in fairness, nothing here in limbo could ever temp a smile.)

She would pry information about the Guardian's out of him later, to satisfy her curiosity. It wasn't like he could hide from her, not here in limbo. She had tried that the first few weeks into her stay, fed up with his lack of support for her escape attempts, and had speculators failed. If she could not do it then she hardly believed that he could.

"-had my baby teeth."

"She collected your teeth? Elsa said, wrinkling her nose. "Why in Arendelle's name would she want those?"

Jack laughed at her repulsion. Elsa's heart warmed at the sound and she enjoyed the way his eyes twinkled brightly, like glimmers of sunlight on icicles.

"That's what she does; she's the tooth fairy. I'm glad that it's not my job; too gross for my tastes. But it is an important one," Jack said, somewhat grudgingly. "Each tooth contains a child's memories of their childhood and they need to be protected, least they fall into the wrong hands." Jack's voice became dark, shadows dancing across his face. "Which unfortunately they did."

"The boogeyman?"

Jack nodded grimly.

"He has mine too now. I didn't even know they existed. For me to have those meant..."

When he stayed silent Elsa titled her head and gave him a quizzical look. "What does it mean?"

"That I was once human."

There was much that Elsa didn't know about Jack. For all the months she has spent in limbo she had never tried to get to know him, to determined to leave. He had been a constant present, watching from the shoreline as she fought against the sea with all her might. He never spoke about himself, only discouraged her from her futile efforts. She didn't even understand what kind of spirit he was. A few times he had implied that he had once had powers. She had never seen him use them; perhaps he couldn't anymore, for some reason?

"You didn't know you were once human? I thought all spirits started that way."

"I'm not quite your typical ghoul or ghost," Jack drawled, something like mischief gleaming in his eyes. "I couldn't remember anything about my past. Who I was; where I came from. I was alone. I had nothing but the clothes on my back, a staff in my hands and the knowledge that it was the Man on The Moon who made me what I was."

Jack pulled down his hood and ran a hand through his hair. It looked fluffy. Elsa wanted to run her fingers through it to confirm the suspicion. She flushed at the thought - so improper! Such thoughts were becoming more and more common around Jack.

"If you got your teeth back, you would be able to access your past," Elsa deduced, biting her lip in thought.

She didn't notice how Jack's eyes lingered on her lips for the briefest of moments.

"Yipe. Too late now though. I'll never get them. Pitch dangled them in front of me before throwing me in a hole in Antarctica. Tall, dark and broody doesn't take well to rejection."

The fire crackled, embers burning through the air.

"But I didn't want what he had to offer. I wanted people to believe in me. To see me. Not fear me."

Memories of her coronation party came fleetingly and fast, each one like the slash of a whip across cold skin. She remembered fear, shocked gasps, frightened cries, out-stretched fingers pointing at her and looks of terror etched upon faces that were once filled with adoration and respect.

Elsa moved to kneel beside Jack. She dared reach out and place her hand over his. He stilled and turned to her, startled by her offer of comfort. It was the first she had willingly touched him. His skin was as cold as ice, as cold as hers.  _How strange_ , Elsa thought.

"I guess I died in that hole. Otherwise I wouldn't be here." Nothing could hide the regret and guilt in his voice. "We were never really buddy buddy, but I can't imagine the Guardians would have left me there. It makes me wonder if Pitch actually succeeded in his plans."

Elsa squeezed his hand.

"What did the boogeyman want?"

Jack sighed, closing his eyes.

"He wanted children to stop believing in the guardians. He wanted their fear. He wanted to be believed in."

* * *

Things changed between her and the spirit. Jack had always been a hindrance to her escape, a nagging cloud of doubt. He was still present in her days but no longer was it because they had no one else to talk with. Now, they spent time together because they wanted to.

Jack wasn't quite the dour, pessimistic soul she had believed him to be. His dim outlook was a result of limbo's cruel nature, which had suppressed his true character. It took a while for Elsa to see it but the more time they spent with one another, the more she could see the fun-loving, laidback, witty soul that Jack truly was.

He was a mischievous young man with a cheeky tongue and impish grin. He was never short of sassy remarks. He loved to play games, to let loose and have fun. It reminded her of how she used to be, before the accident with her sister. A time before isolation, loneliness and fear. Jack's personality and affinity to trickery often made him a frustrating companion. But it was annoyingly and begrudgingly endearingly so. With his easy charms and a jaunty smile, it was impossible not to like him - no matter how skilled he was at flaring tempers. She could not stay mad at him, despite his pranks or teasing.

But there was one point of conflict that strained their relationship. Elsa's ice powers.

Unlike her subjects, Jack had no issue with her having them. What bewildered and dismayed him was that she never used them. She had tried to explain why so many times to him. He never understood. He couldn't, not without her revealing secrets that had scarred her heart and left her soul bleeding. It was secrets she was not ready to share.

"Your powers are amazing, Elsa! You should use them."

Elsa didn't understand why he was passionate about this, why his whole body thrummed with excitement as he spoke of her magic. She could see his frustration at her refusals. With ever denial, he rolled his eyes, muttered under his breath and scratched the back of his neck (something he did when he was frustrated).

"I can't,' Elsa mumbled, turning away from him.

"I saw you on the beach, for weeks on end, using your abilities. You can, Elsa. You were incredible! How can you not see that? Your powers are-"

"A curse," Elsa cut in, as sharp as a blade of ice. "All they do is hurt people."

Jack looked at her, confusion shining in his eyes. Elsa wondered how any eyes could display such raw emotions. Jack couldn't hide what he was feeling; his eyes gave him away every time.

His expression changed, realization dawning on him. He seemed awed, as though the revelation was impossible. "You're afraid of your powers."

Elsa's silence confirmed it.

"Elsa, you shouldn't be scared of them. They're apart of you. You can do fantastic things that others can only ever dream of! How can you reject them? How can you-"

"They're a curse," Elsa repeated forcefully.

Jack's face hardened, his jaw clenching.

"You have no idea how lucky you are, to have your powers."

He scoffed and turned away from her, continuing down the pebble beach. Elsa watched his retreating form, fury swelling her chest and bringing hot, angry tears to her eyes.

He knew nothing.

* * *

"What's this?" Elsa asked.

Jack was sulking on the cliff edge, staring at the endless grey horizon. How long he had been up here she didn't know, but it couldn't have been too long. No one could stare at the sky for more than an hour. There was something strange about the sky, something unnatural and sinister. It was almost vampiric, for staring at the sky drained you of your energy, leaving you feeling empty and hollow. Another charming feature of limbo.

With a sigh, Jack turned to look at Elsa. What he saw in her hands caused him to jump to his feet, a snarl on his lips.

"Where did you get that?" He demanded.

Elsa looked at the two large pieces of staff in her hand, one straight and the other curved at the end.

"When I was a little girl, my mother used to tell me a story. A story about a young man with incredible abilities. He controlled winter, just like me," Elsa whispered, as though afraid someone other than Jack would hear her secret. And it was a secret, one she had never shared. It was her secret weapon, her most prized possession. Her salvation.

Jack swallowed, eyes darting from Elsa to the broken staff.

"My father gave me books about him. And every Christmas there was always a gift from St Nicholas hidden under the tree, below a snowflake bauble. It was books about that man, books no one in the castle had ever heard of. It was like they were made, just for me."

Elsa tightened her grip on the staff, a wistful smile tugging at the corner of her mouth. "Reading those stories always made me feel better, even when I felt utterly depressed and alone. You see, I could never control my powers. Every year they got stronger and stronger."

Jack listened, captivated and tense.

"My little sister is called Anna. She adored my magic and I loved showing off for her." Elsa's smile quivered, tears slipping down her cheeks. "But then... I messed up and she was hurt by them. To save her the memories of my powers were taken."

Elsa sniffled and rubbed the tears from her eyes. She told Jack of how her father closed the castle gates, cut the staff and kept everyone away - to protect her and everyone else from the danger she possessed.

"I was so alone. I didn't trust myself around anyone. But do you know what kept me going? Stories. Stories of a winter spirit... called Jack Frost."

Elsa's eyes meet Jack's.

"All the legends say he had a staff, quite like this one this. It was the source of his powers."

"Well they're right about that," Jack said with a shrug, trying and failing to seem casual, as if his whole world hadn't been shaken.

"Why didn't you tell me who you were?" Elsa challenged, eyes narrowing.

"Because I'm not him anymore! Without my staff I'm powerless. Just... a useless, immortal ghost that no one can see." Jack kicked a rock off the cliff. "Only now I lack the one thing that made it... bearable."

"Your powers," Elsa realized.

How strange, that her powers had been a curse while his had been a blessing. Hers kept her isolated from everyone. Yet for Jack, those very same powers were a comfort, like an old comrade always there for him in the loneliness. She understood a little bit, why he would get so upset about her denying her powers. Maybe now he could see why she feared them.

"Is there any way to fix it?"

"If there was don't you think I'd have fixed it by now?" he snapped.

Elsa bristled at his scoffing tone. Jack noticed and frowned, regretting his biting attitude.

"I'm sorry, Elsa. I didn't mean-"

"No, it's fine. Of course, you would have fixed it if you could have. It was an insensitive question." Elsa shook her head, flustered.

"No, Elsa. It's... fine. And .. I shouldn't have pushed you about your powers. I was... jealous. I miss my powers. I miss the feeling of the wind under me as I fly. I miss being able to conjure a snowball from thin air. I just... I miss them. I miss the winter."

Jack flopped down into the cliff edge, dangling his legs over the side. Elsa sat down beside him, her shoulder brushing his. Jack was tense, strung up tighter than violin strings. She had come to know him well enough to know that he was uncomfortable with all these serious and depressing talks. They cropped up so often. It was inevitable. Limbo was a dark and miserable realm with no happiness to speak of.

But Jack was 'snowballs and fun times', a creature of mischief and delight. This place leached it out of him, and he knew it too. It was against his nature to be this sad. He wanted to be happy, to be a troublemaking, free spirit; to be the young man she had caught glimpses of when he let his guard down and forgot (for a moment, only ever a moment) where he was. Limbo's poison left his bones in those times, but it always,  _always_  came back. Just like it did with her.

"I'm going to go to sleep," Jack muttered, rising to his feet.

As he walked away something hard and cold smashed against the back of his neck. Snow trickled down his hoody, sending shivers down his spine. Slowly, he glanced over his shoulder. He found Elsa sitting innocently on the cliff edge, casually examining her chipped nails.

He let out a breath, stunned.

Specks of white flurries descended from the skies. Jack gasped, gingerly catching the snowflakes in his hand. He laughed, unable to keep it in. His smile was dazzeling. He was dazzeling. The snow became heavier and within a few moments, the ground was coated with a thin carpet of snow. It glittered and gleamed like fallen stars.

Jack smirked, scooping up the snow and grinding it into a perfect snowball. Elsa watched him, slowly rising to her feet and holding her hand up in warning. If he even dared-

"Don't. You. Dare!" Elsa hissed. "Jack, I mean it. Jack.  _Jack_!"

A snowball splatted against Elsa's face. With a fair amount of menace, Elsa wiped the snow away.

"You asked for it," Elsa gritted out, unable to keep the mirth from her voice.

She barely dodged the next snowball aimed at her chest.

Jack laughed but his laughter faded when Elsa waved her hands, levitating a massive pile of snow and rolling it around in the air, turning it into a perfectly round ball.

"Game on, Frosty."

As it turned out, Jack wasn't as good at dodging as he thought. He ended up sprawled on the snow, the wind knocked out of him. Elsa strutted over to him and crossed her arms, a victorious smile on her face as she looked down at the winter spirit. She couldn't help but taunt him.

"Care to try aga-"

Elsa shrieked as Jack launched himself at her, throwing them both to the ground. She winced and swore vengeance for his dirty tactic.

Jack moved onto his elbow, one at either side of Elsa's head. He looked down at her, a beautiful smile lighting up his face. It was hard not to notice how handsome he was, with his impish charms and vibrant eyes. It was a cold beauty, but there was something warm to it too. As he stared down at her something flickered in his eyes, something she had caught hints of for weeks now.

"I win," he smirked.

"Cheat," Elsa said primly.

"You're a sore loser."

He didn't move off her, if anything he seemed to press himself closer. Elsa knew she should push him off, being in such a compromising position with a young man (whether he be a spirit or not) was not appropriate in the slightest. Yet she found herself trailing her fingers across his chest as he lowered his head, tilting it ever so slightly. Above her, Jack shuddered, his breathing becoming a little ragged, and it startled and intrigued her to know that with a simple touch she had invoked such a reaction. She wondered what he would do if she ran her fingers through his hair (as she had been tempted to do), chastely kissed his cheeks or ran her fingers down his spine. She shouldn't be having these thoughts, yet here they were, far too frequent for her liking.

Perhaps it was being deprived of human touch for so long that made these urges more insist, now that she had come across a soul that mirrored her own. Or maybe it was just Jack and everything that he was that made her feel this way.

"Elsa... may I?" Jack whispered, eyes moving from her lips to her eyes.

And it seemed she was not alone in such thoughts.

Boldy, throwing caution and etiquette to the wind (for what did that matter here in limbo?), Elsa nodded and lifted her head, meeting his frozen lips with her own. It was soft and hesitate. Neither knew what they were doing, the experience new to both of them. Each time their lips parted, the following meeting was longer and surer.

One kiss... Two kisses... Three... Six... Eight...

Each one was sweeter than the last.

* * *

They lay together on a blanket of snow, their fingers entwined. There were no stars to gaze upon in limbo, no dusks or dawns. The sky was a murky swirl of greys, some so dark they were almost black - like eerie serpents coiling in the sky. It was unpleasant and dangerous to look at. Instead, the two lovers looked upon one another, memorizing every little detail of each other that they could.

After years of being alone, it was nice to have someone there, someone who had journeyed a similar path to themselves. Isolation had eaten away at their hearts for so long. Companionship was new, different and unfamiliar. Their wary souls, so use to loneliness and suffering, made their courtship cautious and slow. It suited both of them.

Jack's hand would clasp with Elsa's as they wandered the desolate valleys of rocks and mist. Elsa would brush her fingers down Jack's arm as she whispered sweet secrets of her childhood before her world became cold and alone. Jack would wrap his arm around Elsa's shoulder as they sat on the cliff edge, watching the turbulent sea. Elsa would lean her head against Jack's shoulder as they shared stories around the fire.

The fire was no longer the only warmth they received on the island, they found that in each other's affectionate touches, gentle embraces, silent kisses and merely by being in the others presence. It was a content and quiet romance, one that made everything bearable.

But it was not too last.

* * *

Soft, sensual kisses trailed down Elsa's neck. She gasped her lover's name, gripping his white hair. Jack pinned Elsa's free hand against the ground above her head. Their fingers slipped into one another's, tightening and loosening with every kiss and flare of desire.

One kiss. Two kisses. Ten kisses. It was never enough. Never enough...

"Elsa, Elsa... Elsa," Jack murmured against her throat, in-between slowly placed kisses.

Elsa groaned as Jack placed a kiss at the sensitive patch behind her ear. He lowered his lips to the base of her throat, kissing and sucking. Elsa's toes curled when she felt his teeth scrape against her skin, teasingly. Jack (much to Elsa's irritation) was as mischievous a lover as he was a spirit. He loved to tease her, delaying her gratification to the point where she almost begged.

But Queens never begged; they got even.

Elsa broke free of Jack's grip and wrapped her arms around his neck. She brought his lips back down to hers, kissing him fiercely. She wanted him as breathless as he made her. Jack pulled away, gasping and flushed. With a sly smile, Elsa slid her hands to his chest then pushed. He rolled off her, landing on his back with Elsa on top of him.

"Should have seen that coming," Jack laughed, blowing strands of Elsa's hair from his face.

"Should have," Elsa agreed.

She leaned down and kissed him, pulling back with a wicked grin when Jack tried to deepen it. She wanted to tease him, to play with him as he took joy in so doing to her. She wanted him to cry out her name, desperate for her to give him the release he craved. It wasn't easy. Jack always had a trick up his sleeve.

Jack moved his body against hers, the friction as delicious as it was frustrating. Up and down, insisitant and vigorating. Elsa bit her tongue, not wanting to give him the satisfaction of her moans of approval. Her resolve did not last long. She whispered his name, over and over, with every thrust of his body against hers. She tugged at his hair, slipped her fingers beneath his hoody (finally touching cold flesh) and whispered his name. Over and over again.

_Jack, Jack... Jack._

* * *

The cruellest part of limbo was not the endless stretches of mist and grey that hid the stars and swallowed the sun. It wasn't the landscape void of scenery, greenery and colour. It wasn't the vicious sea with its hissing, clawing waves that let no one leave. It was the nightmares. Nightmares dressed up as beautiful dreams that gave you everything you wanted, only to rip it away from you with a searing, heart-jolt back into the waking world.

It was torture in its finest form.

Every night Elsa saw her sister; sweet, naive Anna with dusk sunlight hair and periwinkle skies in her eyes. She heard the faithful rap of her sister's knuckles on her door, heard the chirp of her voice ( _do you wanna_ _build a snowman?_ ) always so eager and optimistic. But unlike the cruel reality, Elsa opened the door, smiled at her sister's stunned happiness, then timidly opened her arms, embracing the sister she had not dared touch for so many years, so many years...

In that moment she felt like a bird taking flight for the first time, able to spread her wings and soar high into the air. It was exhilarating. It was freeing. A weight off her body, making it as light as a feather. All her worries that she would hit the ground once she flew suddenly seemed so silly.

Sometimes the dream felt like they only lasted a few moments, other times it felt weeks or months - sometimes even years.

And then without warning or reason, the dream twisted into a nightmare.

The vibrant colours would drain from the castle corridors, turning the colour of ash and cinder. And her sister - oh, her darling sister - would look at her with horror in her eyes, a strangled gasp on her now blue lips - like she couldn't breathe, why couldn't she breathe?  _Elsa... how could you?_  Anna would whisper, her voice cracking and croaking. Elsa would back away, noticing with terror that her hands were bare and they had left icy handprints upon Anna's skin. The ice would spread like a poison, seeping into her sister's flesh. Anna's movements would become rigid until she could no longer move. She was nothing more than a statue of ice and cold.

_Anna... no, Anna!_

Elsa would awake with a scream, sweat pouring down her body, dampening her clothes and hair. Beside her Jack would wake, bewilderment quickly turning to understanding. He would take her in his arms, pet her head and whisper reassurances. _You're okay, Elsa. I'm here. I'm here._  He would comfort her just as she comforted him when he fell victim to limbo's vicious dream snares.

Elsa feared the dreams whenever she neared slumber. Most nights were dreamless but when dreams took hold, oh, how they were torture. Ever since being trapped in this malicious land of nothing she had never woken up from a nice dream, only nightmares. How could this place be so cruel?

One night, something changed.

Jack had been tossing and turning in his sleep, his rough movements waking Elsa from her dreamless slumber. Her heart panged at the sight of him, sweating and breathless and scared. What he dreamed she didn't know, as he never shared. She suspected it was the boogeyman who plagued his nightmares. Even here, there was no escape from the bringer of his demise.

"Sandy," Jack gasped, eyes snapping open. He shot up, panting and eyes wild. He turned to Elsa, grabbing her hands and holding them tightly. "Elsa, I saw Sandy."

"It was just a nightmare, Jack," Elsa said softly.

Jack shook his head. "Not this time. There was no nightmare, just Sandy. That's never happened before. He said he was trying to reach me, to tell me that they're trying to get me back. They're trying to get people to believe in me, that's how they got Sandy back, that's why he disappeared from here. He's alive! He's free! They want to do that for me..."

Jack let out a bitter laugh. It was an awful thing.

"It's no use though. No one will ever believe in me, no one ever has. That's why no one could see, feel or hear me. And you know what? I deserve it. I never cared about anything or anyone, just having fun and causing trouble. I... I wish I had tried harder to help the guardians. Pitch needed to be stopped. But I was too selfish and caught up in myself. I didn't care about anyone. Not the guardians, not the children, no one. "

Jack cursed, self-loathing filing his eyes.

Unable to hear Jack's harsh words, void of compassion and forgiveness for himself, Elsa placed her hands on either side of his face. She made him look at her, needing him to see the sincerity in her eyes. All those years growing up - whether he had known it or not - his stories had kept her spirits up and given her hope. Hope that there were others out there like her (that she wasn't alone), hope that she would one day be able to control her powers (just like him). All those years, she had believed. She had believed in Jack Frost. And she still did.

"I believe in you."

"What?" Jack whispered.

"I believe in you," Elsa repeated. "I always have, ever since I was a little girl. I believe in you now."

In her childhood, he had been her unseen, unknowing guardian, giving her strength without knowing. Here in limbo, he was her friend, her companion, her lover. He gave her light where there was only darkness. Joy when despair threatened to swallow her whole. Safety and comfort in a place were terror reigned. He gave her strength. He was her guardian.

Jack's eyes searched hers, something deep and overwhelming alighting his eyes. He embraced her then, more tightly and passionately than ever before. He brought her as close to him as he was able, refusing to let go. He kissed her softly.

"I believe in you too, Elsa. Without you..." Jack trailed off, shaking his head. He planted a gentle kiss upon her cheek. "I love you."

Then he was gone. Vanished from her arms. Vanished from the island. Vanished from limbo. For a moment, Elsa sat there, staring numbly. Her lip trembled as she reached out, grasping the air where her lover had been.

"Jack?" Elsa felt the world begin to tilt, her voice rising from a disbelieving whisper to a frantic, desperate shriek. "Jack!"

Elsa searched, she searched and searched and searched. But it was no use. Jack Frost was gone. She was alone.

Alone again.

Elsa fell to her knees and cried.

* * *

Jack _, where are you?_

Every night Elsa prayed to the Gods that he would return to her. Every time she asked she loathed herself for being so selfish. But was it wrong to yearn for something? To want a companion in this eternal pit of isolation and despair. She was lonely... so very lonely... and she wanted Jack back.

Jack had been a kindred spirit, a friend, an attentive lover. He was the warmth in her life that had known nothing but coldness. Yet now he was gone. She didn't know where he had gone but she hoped he was free, back in his own world, his own time. She theorized that the Guardians he had often spoken of had found a way to bring him back and perhaps that was what had happened to his former companion Sandy. But if that was the case then why hadn't he helped her? Why had he left her here? It was long ago now, so long ago...

She trudged on every day, doing what she and Jack had always done. She walked around the island, soaking her feet in the chilly waters and savouring the feel of squishy sand squeezing between her toes. She dangled her legs off the cliff, staring at the choppy and violent waters, daydreaming of conquering the watery beast and its treacherous might. She laid in the cave, basking in the warmth of the flames (once again the only warmth she felt).

As days turned to weeks and weeks into months, she grew restless and jittery. She had always had someone to talk to, Jack had always been here, long before she had arrived. Even before they grew to care for one another he had always spoken to her, trying to sway her from her dangerous (and futile) efforts of escape. But now... there was nothing. No one to talk to. No one to argue with. No one to share moments with.

No one.

_No one._

_No one!_

Just clouds of ash, swirls of grey fog, pebbly shores, and foamy waves.

_Jack, why haven't you come back for me?_  Elsa wrapped her arms tightly around her knees, tears stinging her eyes and staining her cheeks.  _Please, come back. Please take me away from here. I want to go home. I want my sister. I want my world. Please...please..._

Then the thought came that churned her stomach and sickened her to her very core.

What if Jack would never save her, not because he didn't want to or couldn't, but because he had never existed in the first place?

* * *

I _can't stay here anymore, I can't!_

Elsa threw herself into the sea, feet stomping into the waves, ice spiking out from under them. She ran with everything she had, freezing every wave with a forceful gesture of her hand. The ocean rumbled in fury with every step away from the island she took. The waves became higher and stronger, their crashing roar all she could hear. She gritted her teeth, pushing herself like had never pushed herself before.

_I won't go back, I won't!_

Elsa pushed her hands outwards, conjuring a wave of her own made of solid ice. It clashed with the ocean's, water and shards of ice scattering through the air. Upon her element, Elsa's feet didn't slip as she ran up the slope of ice. She would not slip, she would  _not_  slip, not again. Not like she did... before...

The memory was a poisoned arrow zipping through the fog, plunging straight into her heart.

Little Anna's gleeful cheers ( _do the magic, do the magic!_ ) jumping up and down in excitement as winter's touch danced upon young Elsa's fingertips. ( _Catch me!_ ) Always. ( _Hang on, Anna!_ ) Cheerful demands for her to go faster, so Anna could leap up mountains of snow, higher and higher! A little girl moving too fast for her unskilled sister to keep up. ( _Wait! Slow down!_ ) Her foot slipped on the ice. ( _ANNA!_ )

Pasts bitter poison seeped through her veins, weakening her bones, her concentration and her resolve.

For the second time in her life, Elsa slipped on the ice she had made. For the hundredth time, she fell into the waves.

* * *

"Are you sure the little Sheila isn't Sleeping Beauty? Pretty sure she's got Sandy's sleeping record beat."

"Back off, Kangaroo. Don't you have some hard boiled eggs to paint?"

"How many times do I have to say it? I am  _not_  a kangaroo!"

Elsa could hear voices, one familiar and one of a stranger's with an accent she had never heard before. They were bickering, one more relaxed than the other. Why was the second voice so familiar? Where had she heard it? Smooth, confident and filled with amusement. It had been so long since she had heard another voice, even in her dreams (nightmares) the memory of those who spoke faded so quickly.

"Knock it off guys, she's waking up!" another voice chided, a women's voice, sweet and caring. "Best behaviour now! We don't want to scare her!"

"Sandy! Did you eat all the chocolate my elves brought? That was for Elsa!" a third man's voice, with another unfamiliar, strong accent shouted. "It's her favourite! I always left some under her Christmas tree!"

There was a strange sound, like the shifting of sand through an hourglass.

"It wasn't you who eat it? Then who, Sandy?"

Someone chuckled and the familiar sound made Elsa's heart ache.

"Jack! I told everyone to leave the chocolate! And you wonder why you hold the record on the naughty list? Ha!

"I had to make sure it was up to standard for, Elsa. Can't have a Queen eating anything less than the best."

"My chocolate is the best!"

"Eh, actually, North, mine is. Chocolate is more an Easter thing than a Christmas one. I have way more expertise in that field that you ever will, Mate."

Pale lids cracked open, revealing icy, sleep filled eyes. Wherever Elsa was, she was not in limbo anymore. She was in someplace warm, a vibrant theme of red, greens and white domainting the room. There was a crackling fireplace, knitted stocking hanging above it. Tinsel, bells and holly lined the walls. There was a magnificent Christmas tree decorated with tinsel, shiny baubles and a dazzling star in the corner (it reminded Elsa of better days, of Christmas, shared with her sister before fear had taken hold.) This place made her feel safe, soothed and secure. Like a home away from home. It smelt of gingerbread.

"She's awake!" the women's voice exclaimed.

Elsa found herself surrounded by five faces, each more curious than the next. She blinked, taking in the unusual sight with an odd sort of calm. There was a giant bunny. A fairy fluttering above her. A small, golden man whose entire body seemed to shimmer and gleam, like sunlight caught in golden crystals. A large man dressed in red, with hair like faded starlight and a matching beard. And then... there was Jack. Her Jack.

Elsa gasped, forcing herself up from the couch she lay on. She threw her arms around her long lost lover, pulling him as close as she could. Jack embraced her back, one hand resting against the back of her head, fingers slipping through her hair.

"Hey, Snowy," Jack murmured against her ear. "I'm sorry it took so long to get you out of there."

"It doesn't matter," Elsa said, voice muffled against his chest. "You freed me now, that's all that matters. That's all that matters."

"I promise you, Elsa, I will keep you safe." Jack pulled back, tucking a stray strand of her hair behind her ear. "No one will ever hurt you again. You have me and the Guardians. We'll always be here for you, you won't have to be alone."

Elsa sniffled, smiling for the first time in forever.

* * *

The Guardians promised they would find a way to send her back to her own time; if she wished it. In the meantime, Jack showed her a whole new world.

Jack's time was vastly different from Elsa's, several centuries into the future. Everything was bizarre and confusing but fascinating and exciting. Technology and knowledge had advanced to dizzying levels. Everyone was connected in ways that before had never seemed possible other than in works of fiction (how a tiny, glowing box in her hand could send a message thousands of miles away in a matter of seconds, she would never understand).

Jack took great delight in teaching her how things worked and enjoyed, even more, showing her this fantastical world she had been brought into. Every day he led her from their room to North's globe, wrapped his arms around her from behind and whispered, "where do you want to go today?" No matter where she pointed, he would take her there with no questions. Spain, Italy, France, Scotland, Australia... wherever her heart desired.

Although uncomfortable with high temperatures, Elsa enjoyed going to warmer countries the most. While in those places (Egypt, Portugal, Rome) Jack's devilish side, horns and all, would show itself. Snow pranks on places where snow never, or seldom, showed, always lightened up her day. Going to these places was a rarity, for North would often scold them both, warning how their mischief would keep Jack on the naughty list and earn Elsa a place back on it (apparently she had been on it more than once as a child - something about freezing her nanny's behind?).

There was never a dull moment in her daylight hours. She either explored the world, Jack carrying her in his arms as he flew across the sky, or helped the Guardians with their seasonal duties. Her nights, she spent with Jack, tucked safely in his arms, his sweet kisses lulling her to sleep.

Life was sweet, it was kind, it was fun, it was perfect. Every day she was surrounded by colours (bright, beautiful colours) and people who cared for her were always nearby (she was never alone). It was bliss. It was heaven. It was... almost like a carefully sculpted dream, one that catered to her every hope, desire and need. It was too perfect. And that was the one thing that kept her up at night, that filled her with anxiety, that made her smile slip into a frown and weighed down her spirit.

For every day she waited... waited for the dream to end and the nightmare and reality to slice through her life.

Just like Han's blade had.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'll leave it to the reader to interpret what happened. Did Jack and the Guardians really save Elsa? Did Elsa dream up Jack, her favourite fictional character who helped her get by in her childhood, to help her cope with the torture of limbo? Or did Elsa stop believing in Jack and that was what stopped him being able to save her? Maybe you have another idea? I'd love to hear it!
> 
> Thank you for all the reviews, favs and alerts! Please let me know what you think! xx


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